An interim investigation report into an alleged coup plot against President Bola Tinubu’s government has outlined what investigators describe as a coordinated plan involving serving military officers across the Army, Navy, and Air Force, allegedly led by a serving Army Colonel whose name was withheld in the document sighted by The PUNCH. The report portrays the officer as the central coordinator of the plot, tracing recruitment, funding, and early operational planning directly to him, while suggesting that what began as disaffection within the ranks had evolved into what investigators termed structured preparations for a possible unconstitutional takeover of government.
According to the interim findings, the alleged plot went beyond “casual dissent” and entered what investigators described as the early stages of operational planning, including covert surveillance of critical national assets such as the Presidential Villa, the Armed Forces Complex, Niger Barracks in Abuja, and international airports in both Abuja and Lagos. Officers allegedly assigned to these tasks were said to have been mobilised quietly across service branches, with responsibilities shared among trusted personnel who were reportedly recruited through personal grievances and financial inducements.
The report traced the origins of the investigation to intelligence gathered on what it described as “disgruntled elements within the Armed Forces of Nigeria and the civil populace,” prompting a series of arrests, interrogations, and link analysis that allegedly exposed a clandestine network operating through encrypted communication channels. Investigators claimed that these channels were used to coordinate logistics, share reconnaissance findings, and discuss operational roles in a manner intended to evade detection by conventional monitoring systems.
Central to the allegations is the claim that the indicted Colonel, who reportedly failed promotion examinations twice, used his frustration as a rallying point to recruit like-minded officers. The report quoted multiple testimonies from suspects who allegedly described him as the figure providing both motivation and financial support, openly lamenting his stagnation in the military hierarchy and expressing the need to “change government,” a phrase investigators highlighted as evidence of intent.
Searches conducted during the investigation reportedly uncovered items that investigators considered incriminating. A search of the Colonel’s vehicle allegedly revealed charms and anti-government materials, including write-ups referencing strike actions and political dissent, while a raid on his residence in the Lokogoma area of Abuja was said to have yielded “very sensitive documents,” including papers detailing assigned roles to principal actors and notes on how “key national dignitaries” were to be handled during the planned operation.
The interim report further alleged that specific government officials, including the President, Vice President Kashim Shettima, ministers, service chiefs, and other senior figures, were marked for elimination in what investigators described as a “fatal” plan allegedly scheduled for October 25, 2025. These claims, the report emphasized, were drawn from documents and testimonies obtained during interrogations, and form part of the evidence expected to be presented before a military judicial panel.
Background to the case dates back to October 2025 when the Defence Headquarters announced the arrest of 16 officers over acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations. Shortly after, Sahara Reporters published claims that the arrests were linked to secret meetings to topple the government and suggested that the alleged plot was connected to the cancellation of the October 1 Independence Day parade, a claim that was officially dismissed at the time.
The then Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau (retd.), had described those reports as attempts to create tension and distrust within the country, insisting that the issue was purely an internal disciplinary matter. He disclosed that an investigative panel had been set up and promised that its findings would be made public, a statement that framed the matter at the time as routine military procedure rather than a national security threat.
However, providing an update on Monday, the current Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, stated that a comprehensive investigation had now been concluded in accordance with established military procedures and that the report had been forwarded to the appropriate superior authority. He added that officers found culpable would be arraigned before a military judicial panel, signaling a shift from the earlier position that the matter was strictly internal discipline.
The report listed the 16 officers currently in custody as Brig Gen M. A. Sadiq, Col M. A. Maaji, Lt Col S. Bappah, Lt Col A.A. Hayatu, Lt Col P. Dangnap, Lt Col M. Almakura, Maj A. J. Ibrahim, Maj M. M. Jiddah, Maj M.A. Usman, Maj D. Yusuf, Capt I. Bello, Capt A.A. Yusuf, Lt S.S. Felix, Lt Cdr D.B. Abdullahi, Sqn Ldr S.B. Adamu, and Maj I. Dauda, while two others, Maj J.M. Ganaks and Capt G. Binuga, were said to be awaited. The report noted that most of the suspects were of northern extraction, with the exception of Capt Yusuf from Osun State.
Investigators also traced what they described as a financial trail, alleging that sums ranging from N2 million to N5 million were distributed to some principal actors for logistics and mobilisation. The report indicated that this financial trail is currently being analysed in collaboration with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, with intelligence suggesting the involvement of at least one major external financier still under investigation.
One of the suspects, Lt Col Bappah, reportedly emerged as a critical witness during the probe, providing information that investigators said helped map the structure of the alleged conspiracy. His testimony, according to the report, contributed to linking several officers to reconnaissance tasks and financial transactions connected to the purported plan.
The seriousness of the allegations has drawn attention to Nigeria’s historical experience with military coups, which shaped much of the country’s post-independence political trajectory.
As the matter moves toward a military judicial process, officials have emphasized the importance of allowing the legal and investigative procedures to run their course. While the interim report outlines grave allegations and detailed claims, the Defence Headquarters has maintained that those indicted will have the opportunity to defend themselves before the appropriate panel, emphasising the principle that allegations, however serious, must be tested through due process in accordance with military law and national regulations.